Last.



F. W. MILLAY & J. M. MADIGAN.

LAST.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30, 1013.

1,1 14,901. Patented 001;. 27, 1914.

.F' .1: 1 lg 26 3 w WM W- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK W. MILLAY, OF HAVERHILL, AND JOHN M. MADIGAN, OF LAWRENCE,

MASSACHUSETTS.

LAST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 30, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, FREDERICK W. MIL- LAY and JOHN M. MADIGAN, citizens of the United States of America, and residents of Haverhill, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, and Lawrence, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lasts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in lasts used in the manufacture of boots and shoes, and particularly to that class of lasts that are divided transversely and are adapted to be shortened to facilitate the ready removal of the shoe.

The removal of a turned shoe from alast of ordinary construction is made with considerable difficulty, and to remedy this defect and provide a last from which the shoe may be removed without difliculty is the object of the present invention.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be fully understood by reference to the description of the drawings and to the claims hereinafter given.

Of the drawings: Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal section of a last embodying the features of the present invention, and Fig. 2 represents a horizontal'section of a ortion of the same, the cutting plane being on line 2 2 on Fig. 1.

Similar characters designate like parts throughout the several figures of the drawin s.

Tn the drawings, 10 is the fore part and 11 the heel part of a last transversely divided on the inclined line 12-13 extending downwardly from the point 12 intermediate the comb 14: and heel end of the last and forwardly toward the toe end 15.

The heel part 11 has secured to its front end the slotted plate 16, the securing means being'two pins 17 driven through the heel part and passing through holes in said plate. The plate 16 is provided with a long slot 18 parallel with the line 1213 and two shorter alined slots 19 also parallel with said line of division. The greater part of said plate 16 extends beyond the front face of the heel part 11 and into a vertical groove or kerf 20 cut into the rear end of the fore part 10.

Pins 21 are driven through the fore part lO each passing through a slot 19, these pins being positioned normally in the bottoms of the slots 19 as indicated in Fig. 1, thus limitlng the upward movement of the heel part 11 relat ve to the fore part 10. The fore part 10 Is also provided with two members such as the pins 22 projecting from the rear face thereof, one on each side of the plate 16. Between these pins 22 and the upper end of the slot 18 is positioned the helical spring 23, the tension of which retains the pins 21. at the lower ends of the slots 19 and the last extended. The front and rear faces of the heel part 11 and fore part 10 respectively are provided with concaved grooves 24. into which extend the portions of said spring 23 projecting beyond the side faces of the plate 16.

The heel part 11 is provided with the usual pin socket 25 by which the last is supported on the usual supporting pin durmg the lasting operation. The fore part 10 is also provided with a pin socket 26 which is adapted to receive the usual supporting pin when it is desired to remove the shoe from the last.

It is obvious that by this construction of last all upward movement of the heel part 11 relative to the fore part 10 is prevented, the parts of the last being retained normally in extended position by means of the spring 23 and when it is desired to shorten the last while placing a shoe thereon or removing it therefrom, the heel part 11 will be moved toward the bottom of the last in the direction of the arrow a. against the tension of the spring 23 which will return the parts to their normal position as soon as all outside pressure has been removed. During the operation of lasting, the last is in inverted position supported upon a pin in the socket 25, but when it is desired to remove the shoe from the last at the completion of the lasting, the last is removed from the supporting pin and supported in a new position withthe supporting pin in the socket 26. When in this position the pull upon the shoe in removing it from the last will move the heel part 11 in the direction of the arrow a short ening the last sufficiently to facilitate the removal. It is obvious that by this construction the shortenin of the last and the removal of the shoe is effected in a single operation.

While the present invention is described as applied to lasts, it is obvious that it may be applied equally as well to shoe forms, shoe fillers, and shoe trees.

The many advantages of a last thus constructed it is believed will be very apparent without further description.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A transversely divided last comprising a fore part having a groove and a heel part, a slotted plate secured to one part and extending into said groove in the other part; guide pins in said other part extending through the slots in said plate and limiting the relative movement of said parts in one direction; and a helical spring interposed between said parts for retaining them yieldingly in normal extended position but permitting movement to the heel part outwardly and toward the bottom of the fore part so that its bottom will extend beyond izhe bottom of the fore part to shorten the est.

2. A transversely divided last consisting of a fore part having a groove and a heel part divided on a line inclined downwardly toward the toe, a plate secured to the heel part and extending into said groove in the fore part, said plate being provided with two alined slots in the extended portion and a long slot parallel therewith; pins in said fore part normally positioned in the lower ends of said alined slots; a spring in said long slot bearing against the upper end thereof; and a member fixed in the fore part forming a support for the lower end of said spring, said spring retaining the parts yieldingly in extended position.

3. A transversely divided last consisting of a fore part having a groove and a heel part divided on a line inclined downwardly toward the toe; a plate secured to the heel part and extending into said groove in the fore part, said plate being provided with two alined slots in the extended portion and a long slot parallel therewith; pins in said fore part normally positioned in the lower ends of said alined slots; a spring in said long slot bearing against the upper end thereof; and a member fixed in the fore part on each side of said plate forming a support for the lower end of said spring.

4. A last divided transversely into a fore part and a heel part on a straight line extending from top to bottom and inclined forwardly from a point between the comb and heel, one of said parts being provided with a groove; a slotted plate secured to the other art and projecting into' said groove; guide pins in the first mentioned part extending through the slots in said plate and always retaining in contact the abutting faces of said fore part and heel part; and yielding means coacting with said plate for retaining said parts in normal extended position but permitting movement of the heel part outwardly and toward the bottom of the fore part so that its bottom will extend beyond the bottom of the fore part to shorten the last.

Signed by us at 4 Post Ofice Sop, Boston, Mass, this 29th day of September, 1913.

FREDERICK W. MILLAY. JOHN M. MADIGAN.

Witnesses:

WALTER 1E. LoMnARD, NATHAN C. LOMBARIL 

